Long sword (katana), one of a set of two

Artist Osafune Norimitsu Japanese

Date1462

PeriodMuromachi period (1392-1573)

MaterialsSteel, sharkskin, lacquer, bronze, and gold

DimensionsL. 35 in, L. 88.9 cm

Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection

Object numberB64W15

DepartmentJapanese Art

ClassificationsArms And Armament

On View

Not on view

SignedSigned "Osafune Norimitsu"

Text Entries

Object Label

It was the exclusive right and privilege of samurai of the Edo period (1615–1868) to wear a pair of swords called daisho, meaning “large and small.” This set of swords [B64W16, B64W15] is an early example of daisho from an era before their use became the formal custom. Their makers are of the Osafune school, one of the great schools of sword making. These swords were probably paired around 1479, when they were fitted with identically decorated sword guards (tsuba) and scabbards.